Young thespians to play ‘Chess’ on Baker stage

Children ages 13 to 18 will be featured in a performance of “Chess” Sunday at Baker University.

The students are participants in Broadway at Baker, an annual event since 1993.

The young actors have participated in a week’s worth of activities that culminate in the performance at 2:30 p.m. at Rice Auditorium. Show tickets are $5 at the door.

A second camp is scheduled to end with a performance of “42nd Street” on Aug. 8.

Senator to make tour of eastern Kansas cities

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., will visit several eastern Kansas cities in the coming days to hear residents’ concerns and answer questions.

Roberts will start the tour at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Atchison, where he will meet with the news media at The Cafe at Benedictine College.

Monday, Roberts will begin the day in Ottawa, with a town-hall meeting with the public at 8:30 a.m. in the Carnegie Cultural Center, Fifth and Main streets.

Other Monday events:

• 11 a.m., Iola town-hall meeting, Emprise Bank, One West Madison.
• 4 p.m., Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce, public meeting, 117 W. Fourth St.

On Tuesday:

• 8:30 a.m., Parsons town-hall meeting, Carnegie Building, 17th and Broadway streets.
• Noon, Independence town-hall meeting and luncheon, Independence Country Club, 2824 Country Club Circle.

Tonganoxie grad wins Young Investigator grant

A University of Iowa researcher who grew up in Tonganoxie is the recipient of a $60,000 grant for research into schizophrenia.

Ruth Spinks, adjunct assistant professor in the university’s department of psychology, received the Young Investigator grant from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.

She is studying a candidate gene for schizophrenia that is found in approximately 5 percent of patients with the mental illness but only 1 percent of the general population.

She grew up in Tonganoxie, graduated in 1977 from Tonganoxie High School, and remained in the area until 1993 when she left to pursue her graduate education.

Spinks was one of 190 recipients of the $60,000 award. More than 1,000 grant applications were reviewed by the alliance.

County court honors 3 for years of service

Three Douglas County District Court employees have won recognition for reaching 10 years of service.

They are Ron Stegall, Perry, chief executive probation officer; Michelle Roberts, Lawrence, chief court services officer; and Shelee Shafer, Lawrence, official court reporter.